Polio Vaccination Campaign Launched in Gaza

A large-scale polio vaccination campaign commenced on Saturday, aiming to immunize approximately 600,000 Palestinian children under the age of 10, Anadolu Agency reported. The initiative is a collaboration between the Gaza Health Ministry, the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and the United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA).

UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini announced the campaign, stating that over 1,700 UNRWA team members would participate across health centers and mobile points. The campaign follows concerns over a resurgence of polio after traces of the virus were detected in sewage systems.

The vaccination drive is scheduled to last three days, with a potential two-day extension if necessary. The urgency of the campaign was underscored by the confirmation of Gaza’s first polio case in a 10-month-old child in August 2024.

Previous vaccination efforts, conducted amid ongoing conflict, successfully immunized over 560,000 children. The UN emphasizes that two doses of the oral polio vaccine are essential for adequate protection against the disease.